Movie Quotes

I tend to go for long spurts of not posting anything.  There are usually two reasons: 1) I have nothing interesting and/or my pets haven't done anything funny; and 2) I can't talk about whatever is completely consuming my life at the time.  Currently, it's the latter.  More to come soon.

So instead (and perhaps I'll see if anyone reads my blog and whether or not I should shut down Desert Trivia for good), I'm going to share my favorite movie quotes that I know by heart and ask you to share yours.  These quotes are on my mind, because I've been browsing online to order my all-time favorite movies.  The quotes will truly date me, and I'm okay with that.  And I'm pretty sure you've never heard them.

"YES, YOU ARE!  You're making me crazy.  Anyone who FORCES me to make chicken pepperoni is making me crazy.  And YOU!  Are MAKING!  Me CRAZY!"

-  Goldie Hawn in "Seems Like Old Times."  I know pretty much every word.  It's a movie about struggling to forget a former love with hilarious scenes.

"My God, if one of them farts the other one thinks it's Guy Lombardo."

-  Alan Alda in "The Four Seasons."  As you can tell, I like Neil Simon.  This is such a good movie about marriage, divorce, friendships between couples, etc.

"Ooohh, Bubba."  

- Holly Hunter in "Broadcast News."  It's said during one of my favorite scenes - a very touching moment between the two best friends.  It's insane how many times I've watched this movie, and I don't even care for news or politics.  I love Albert Brooks.

Seems like all the movies I really like are funny and serious at the same time.  Okay, you're turn!

Owls

A few weeks ago when Alan and I were in Houston and browsing in the museum gift shop, I made a random decision to start collecting "owl" stuff.  At the time I was still reading Poppy to my homeroom class, so I may have had owls on the brain.  Who knows.  But anyway, I discovered that Alan also likes owls, so it was sort of a joint decision to start the collection.  I knew I had an owl candle holder at home, but that was my only piece.  So when we walked into Pier One yesterday and these awesome owls were staring at me with their bug eyes, I had to get them. 

And then I had to get these:

So I'm now an official owl collector.

Somewhere out there...

Back in the early 90s I read a book by Betty Eadie called Embraced by the Light.  Books are often trendy, and therefore there were a number of books on out-of-body experiences, after-life, or psychic topics during this time.  I read a few.  I like that sort of stuff.  And I'll watch most any show about the paranormal as well.  Growing up I was taught by the Church I guess, that believing in anything like that was NAUGHTY.  Whatever.  I never thought it made sense for a religious group to denounce things of a spiritual nature.

Anyway, there's a new show on the Bio channel (I think) called "I Survived...From Beyond and Back" or something like that.  It tells of people who died and were then revived and what they experienced during the being dead part.  Like the previous books I read, they all talk about the love and warmth they felt during their experiences, and how the message received was "love is all that matters and all we should be focusing on."

So I had to teach after-school tutorials yesterday, and I'll just tell you I really don't look forward to tutorials.  But all day I kept thinking about what those people said about how we're not here for just ourselves, but rather here to help our fellow man.  I had a different attitude during my tutorials, and we had a pretty good session.  Will that feeling stick with me?  Very probably, most undoubtedly not!  But you can bet I have my DVR set to record the next episode.

In case I need a second job...

I have an idea for a children's book. I say this with great hesitation because I'm careful not to sound presumptuous. It's as if saying that I want to write a children's book means I'm claiming to be capable or talented enough to write. That's not it at all. It's just something I've thought about recently but have no idea how to go about it. I've already chosen an illustrator, too - Addison.

This is the third book idea that has come to me in the past few weeks, and I don't aspire to be OR have a life-long dream to be an author. What is going on? Even the titles popped into my head almost immediately. I took one idea and started a secret, unpublicized blog on the same topic to see if I could write enough material. I was unimpressed with myself and stopped. The other book idea would take too much research, and that sounds like no fun at all.

But the children's book wouldn't be that difficult to write. It's my story after all - a true story I told my students in an effort to reach the ones who hate to read.

So now what? I'm guessing what will happen is a lot of grading and lesson planning and sitting on my bum and not a lot of writing anything. But it's kind of fun to daydream about.

Duke says hi.

I've been playing around with the manual settings on my camera, and it's clearly going to take me some practice to get the hang of this. This photo is not at all what I was going for. But hey look, I'm really good at getting Duke's dog tag in focus!



Duke will be my guinea pig for quite some time.

Boys and Toys

Alan's purchase at an auction last Saturday:

For Alan this was spur-of-the-moment, because he only had 24 hours to research and consult with those in the know. Alan doesn't do spontaneous very often, but this is telling of how much he's been wanting to have a bike again. I have to admit, it's pretty.

Stealing moments to relax and read...

I bought a book on CD before starting the drive back from Dallas last Saturday. I've been listening to "The Kite Runner," which has been a best seller for quite a while I think. It's a fascinating yet difficult (as in disturbing) story to listen to. I really like listening as opposed to reading this one, because the author pronounces all the middle-eastern terms and names better than I could attempt in my head. It just seems more authentic. Anyway, I know it's not a new book, but I recommend it to anyone. Just be prepared to be affected by it, in that you'll carry the story around in your head throughout your day and think about things you've done in your own life.

I'm also reading "Elijah of Buxton," which is probably found in the young adult section. So far it's very funny and endearing, but I just know it's going to take a sad turn.

Anyone in the middle of a good book?

Check it off!

Haven't you made that list in your head of the things you must do before you die? You're lying if you say you haven't. Well for me, going to a Braves game in Atlanta was on my list, so I felt pretty fortunate this weekend to be spending two days at Turner Field. It was awesome!

They played the Brewers, which meant we got to see Prince Fielder hit three homeruns and C.C. Sabathia pitch nearly nine innings on Saturday. Which really means nothing if you're not a baseball fan.



My partner in crime...wouldn't have been the same going with anyone other than Alan:



We put some time into making these signs and never made it on the Game Vision board! Seriously, I could write a whole post on the making of the signs. We planned, argued, debated, analyzed, argued some more, and finally compromised. Our seats on this day were nowhere near a camera man, which made all the difference. We tried to get the FOX camera guy to see us, but oh well...Alan still had fun showing our sign to any and EVERYONE throughout the day.



Good ole Bobby Cox!

Jeff Francoeur's not having his best season right now, but he's still awesome to watch in the outfield:

And lastly, my hero, Chipper Jones (that's him facing the camera). Did I mention that I didn't want to wait this late in the season to go to a game, soley because I WAS AFRAID CHIPPER WOULD GET HURT? Going in August was Alan's idea. THANKS.



It was a great trip, and the scenery wasn't too bad either (I spied a tree or two.) Something else interesting about being there was that we were definitely minorities, ethnically speaking. And you know, that's kind of a cool thing to experience. However, that one brief period when we were lost in the hood and could only think of all those episodes of The First 48 that were filmed IN ATLANTA...yeah, that was a little uncomfortable.

Hopefully it wasn't our last trip to Atlanta for a game, but at least now I can die peacefully. :-)

Well said

Warning: This post requests that you participate. Come on, you anonymous readers out there!

Yesterday Alan made reference to the lyrics of a country song by Diamond Rio called "Beautiful Mess." So it got me thinking of other song lyrics, and I bet most of us have a particular song that we declare as having THE BEST lyrics ever. For me, that song is Shenandoah's "Ghost in This House." I can't remember when it was released, probably around the early 90s, but it's such a clever yet sad way to describe a relationship that has deteriorated. Another one along those same lines is "Sail On" by Lionel Richie. (Yes, I am showing my age!) I also like "Difficult Kind" by Sheryl Crow, especially:

"There ain't nothing like regret to remind you you're alive."

Awesome! Anyway, the lyrics don't have to be serious to be great (I'm thinking of a line from "In Da Club"), so what's your favorite?

How much would a thumb weigh?

It's not often that I pay that much attention to special shows or mini-series, but for whatever reason Alan and I both wanted to catch "The Andromeda Strain" on A&E. So much so that we kept reminding each other for days that it was coming up, what night, what time, etc., and planned our evening around it. Monday was the first night and was pretty good, with cool concepts like the whole virus from the future thing and the use of worm holes and such. However, the second night left me speechless. And not in a good way.

Oh. My. Lord. It was one thing how the virus apparently spread across hills and through rivers at a neck-breaking pace, like right before your eyes, and turned everything red in its path. But seriously, when the Korean scientist sacrificed his life to enter the radioactive pool of water (at the bottom of an elevator shaft...of course) to cut off the thumb of the dead white scientist who was laying in the pool, and the Korean scientist then needed to hurl the severed thumb UP about THREE stories (before he died from the radioactive water) to the hispanic scientist who was hanging on for dear life inside the elevator shaft, who needed to catch the thumb (thrown perfectly) and shimmy inside an air duct, who then got blinded temporarily because a hot spray of steam shot out of the duct, who then had to blindly find his way to the next floor and over to the panel where the dead guy's thumb must be placed on the screen to deactivate the nuclear destruction of the facility that was about to take place in 30 seconds, because a black scientist didn't destroy all of the virus since her family was being threatened if she did....

All I could think of were the words often said by Alan's good friend Ed: "There went two hours of my life I'll never get back."

But I'm giving it two stars for the thumb-tossing scene. Worth the laugh.

Banner blooms

The flowers up there on the banner are not bluebonnets, although one of Bailey's friends thought they were. They're called Angelonia and are similar to Salvia, but I think they're a lot prettier and not as weedy looking as Salvia. The best part is they're perennials, which means I didn't have to do a single bit of coaxing or begging to get them to come back. I don't even think they care that Midland hasn't seen rain since....well actually I can't remember the last time it rained. Anyway, they just popped up and have been growing crazy all spring.

Joysticks

If you can find these at your nursery and can grow these in your area, get some! I've seen them called "joysticks," but can't find their real name. They're perennials, require very little care, and will bloom all throughout the year. After a big blooming burst in the spring, the flowers will die and you have to break or twist off the stalk. But give them time and more stems will grow, and I even had a few blooms during the coldest part of the winter. The leafy mound at the bottom stays green ALL year. They really increase in size the second growing season, and I think they look so cool popping out next to other plants in the beds. And if I can't kill it, it must be a hardy plant.

Tonight's the Night

"The Office" is back! We have no volleyball tonight, no softball games, no meetings at the school....all we have is an appointment with NBC. I've been waiting for this, will remember several times today, and will most likely forget to watch it tonight. This happens to me all the time. So help me remember, since I'm helping you right now. I heard from Steve Carrell's mouth that as they were doing the read-around of the script (right before the strike) he thought it was the best episode to date. Can't wait!

A good day off...

...is one where I get my fingernails dirty in potting soil. I fixed the window box that was sagging from the guest house window and then planted some jasmine in it for the winter. I need a manicure now, but it was worth the fun!

Turn away now if you're bored with books...

So I go to Barnes & Noble today to spend the gift card DeeBee got me for my birthday, and while I'm at the register the clerk tells me that her mother who has taught kindergarten for years had NEVER HEARD of Frog and Toad until just the other day. Woman. You teach elementary school and have never heard of Frog and Toad? You need to march your legs down the hall to your school's library, check out a copy provided to you free of charge, and go read it to your students pronto! I can't wait to read it to mine, no matter their age.

And then I've had my eye on this illustrated book of Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on Snowy Evening" for months, and so today with gift card in hand, I couldn't resist. (Bailey just so happens to be doing a project on Frost, so it's good timing.) I have to say though that during my last semester at UTPB, our instructor played an audio recording of Frost himself reading this poem, and whoa. That's how he heard his poetry? It was horrible!

So anyway, I'll be adding these books to my closet of teaching stuff. It's sort of sad looking right now...shelves of this and that just waiting to be moved to its new home in some campus classroom. It's exciting to think about though.

Time to get up

Just catching up on some "Freakonomics:"

Actually now that Alan's through reading it, I think I'll check it out. But right now I'm deep into a murder mystery called "Monkeewrench" that DeeBee recommended, and it's AWESOME. I may have a new murder/mystery/detective series to read. That's mostly what I've been doing the past couple of days, since I've been lacking the motivation to do much more than breathe. Can't explain it, it's not a big deal, and it will pass.

I've decided a mean spirit is doing whatever possible to keep me from walking and running. It wants me to be lazy and get fat. First it was tendonitis, now it's a lingering case of shin splints. But yesterday was the last day I had to take the "fat pills," so I have motivation to keep going and see if this exercise will finally result in a leaner body.

Tuesdays are Important

Other than watching the Braves (lose, apparently), there are two things I look forward to watching each week this summer. I was turned on to Rob & Big while at DeeBee's in Oklahoma. I've now gone back on the MTV website and watched every episode I missed (yes, I'm a very busy person with important things to do). Those two guys put me in the best mood. And then there's Kathy Griffin, who I went from hating to loving last year. Both shows overlap each other tonight, so I have to decide which one to watch tonight and which one to watch online tomorrow! It's a full life.

And I've checked the NBC website a couple times to see when they might be airing The Office rerun of "Women's Appreciation." So far, no love. But there are three episodes on this week! Hope I can fit that in to my very, very busy schedule.

Bring on Mother Nature

So I'm getting really into one of my library books this week, and it occurs to me...I seem to gravitate towards books about surviving extreme elements or living conditions. I never consciously set out to find these books, but off the top of my head I can list several survival type books I've read and loved: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Hatchet, Brian's Winter, A Single Shard, Weedflower, and am now currently reading Hattie Big Sky. Five of those books have been in the past year. And I've told Alan that I've watched so much Man vs. Wild and Survivorman that I'm confident I could start a fire with my toes and some sticks just like Les Stroud! Okay, maybe I'd need some flint like Bear Grills, but I could do it! And although I'd sit and cry if left in a forest all night for fear of being eaten by a grizzly bear, I still think there's a wilderness girl in me somewhere.

Like the Old Days

Alan and I kicked it old-timers school today. We went to two estate sales this morning, where at one I found a teacher-to-be's dream: Scholastic books for $.50 each! I bought 21 of them, and there was no sales tax charge for teachers. A couple blocks away at the other sale, Alan bought a double CD "live" set of Garth Brooks for $.50. I'm not sure he wants people to know that. Garth Brooks is country and Alan doesn't do country. (By the way, we listened to it a lot yesterday and it's awesome!)

After the sales we had lunch at Murray's, a sandwich shop we frequented "back in the day." I try to not always order the same thing, but it's hard to resist the turkado with curly fries. We then walked over to the small library branch where Alan got a spy book (typical) and I got two young adult books (typical). We are both finding our places on the sofas and plan to bum it the rest of the day.

Next thing you know we'll be playing cribbage and I'll be winning.

Bright spot

When I got back from Oklahoma, the caterpillars had destroyed my passion vine, the mexican grass was out of control, the gardenia shrub was all but dead, half the celosia flowers had become scraggly eyesores, and the birdseed from the birdfeeder had dropped and seeded a bunch of mystery grass in one of my flower beds (we'll be moving the birdfeeder). Not a pretty site. Still, the fact that my gladiolas survived the transplant by the guest house and were starting to bloom made it all okay! There are about sixteen of various colors that are starting to open.